Chương 429: Marching into Yizhou

Liu Ce nodded, then called out towards the door:

"Someone, gather everyone together for a meeting!"

In no time, the council chamber was filled with people.

Liu Ce smiled and handed the surrender document to the person next to him for review.

Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Xun Yu, Jia Xu, Cheng Yu, Li Jing, Yue Fei, Qi Jiguang... After reading it, everyone expressed their opinions.

Fang Xuanling stroked his beard and laughed, "Liu Yan understands the bigger picture and knows the trend of the times. With Yizhou surrendering, only Yangzhou remains in the world."

Xun You smiled and said, "Once we take Yizhou, only Yangzhou will remain in the world. Next year, once we conquer Yangzhou, the world will truly be at peace."

Du Ruhui nodded and said, "However, Liu Yan only controls Guanghan Commandery, Shu Commandery, Ba Commandery, the Shu Commandery's territory, and the Guanghan Commandery's territory. Other commanderies and counties still need to be recovered by sending troops. In particular, the four commanderies in the south are inhabited by barbarians, and capable generals are needed to go there."

Li Jing added, "Yizhou has a complex terrain with many mountains, which makes it difficult for cavalry to maneuver effectively. It would be best to send a general skilled in mountain warfare, such as Qi Jiguang's Qi Family Army, who would be perfect for the task."

Liu Ce thought for a moment and nodded.

"Qi Jiguang, listen to my command!"

Qi Jiguang strode forward, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Your subordinate is here!"

"I hereby appoint you as commander-in-chief, leading your troops, along with Gongsun Zan's 10, 000 cavalry, Qu Yi's 10, 000 infantry, Yu Jin's 10, 000 infantry, and Xu Huang's 10, 000 infantry, to recapture the counties and prefectures of Yizhou."

He paused, then added, "Once we arrive, we will first join forces with Liu Yan to stabilize Guanghan Commandery, and then divide our troops to recover Jianwei Commandery and the four commanderies of Nanzhong. Those who can be persuaded to surrender will be persuaded to surrender; those who do not know the importance of yielding will be subdued by force. Yizhou has complex terrain, so we must proceed cautiously and steadily, and not be rash."

Qi Jiguang clasped his hands in a fist salute and said in a loud voice, "This humble general obeys! I will certainly recover Yizhou and live up to the lord's expectations!"

Gongsun Zan stroked his beard and laughed, "I've heard that Yizhou has beautiful scenery. Let's go check it out."

Qu Yi said in a muffled voice, "It's been a long time since I've fought a war, my hands are itching."

Yu Jin and Xu Huang both accepted the order.

Liu Ce then looked at Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Xun Yu, and the others, and said:

"Xuanling, Keming, Wenruo, you arrange the logistics and governance. After Yizhou is captured, officials must be in place as soon as possible, and the people's livelihood must be restored as quickly as possible."

Fang Xuanling cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, we have already prepared a list and will select one hundred students from Youzhou Academy, plus experienced officials from various places. That should be enough to handle the situation."

Du Ruhui added: "Yizhou has a complex terrain and many ethnic groups, so its governance requires adapting to local conditions. I suggest that we first establish an administrative center in Chengdu, and then gradually expand the administration. We can station heavy troops in the four southern prefectures, and at the same time implement a policy of Sinicization to gradually assimilate the local barbarians."

Xun Yu said, "Yizhou is a fertile land stretching for thousands of miles. If it can be governed properly, it will become our great granary. I have already selected a group of officials familiar with the administration of the south, who will take up their posts after the army has recovered the territory."

Liu Ce nodded in satisfaction and waved his hand, saying:

"Alright! It's settled then! Yuan Jing, prepare for a few days, then set off. Once you've taken Yizhou, only Yangzhou will remain in this world!"

Everyone responded in unison, "Yes!"

...

A few days later, outside Luoyang, an army of 60, 000 stood in formation, ready to depart.

Qi Jiguang, clad in silver armor, sat on his horse with a resolute gaze.

Behind him were Gongsun Zan, Qu Yi, Yu Jin, and Xu Huang, and behind them were countless soldiers, their banners obscuring the sky.

Liu Ce came to see Qi Jiguang off in person, patting him on the shoulder and saying:

"Yuan Jing, I'm entrusting Yizhou to you. Remember my words: stability is paramount. Avoid war if possible, and try to persuade others to surrender if you can."

Qi Jiguang clasped his hands and said, "Rest assured, my lord, I will certainly live up to your expectations!"

Gongsun Zan, mounted on his horse, grinned and said:

"My lord, just wait for good news! When we return, Yizhou will be ours!"

Liu Ce smiled and waved, saying, "Let's go!"

The massive army marched south.

Standing at the city gate, Liu Ce watched the troops gradually disappear into the distance, pondering to himself: After taking Yizhou and Jiaozhou, only Yangzhou remains. Once Yangzhou is captured next year, the world will truly be at peace.

...

In the Hanzhong camp outside the Shu Road, the lights in the commander's tent stayed on all night.

Outside the tent, the cold autumn wind of the Shu Road blew, making the flags flutter loudly, but inside the tent, it was warm and cozy.

Inside the tent, a huge map of Yizhou was laid out, densely marked with mountains, rivers, counties, passes, and even which small roads were accessible to cavalry. This was the treasure trove that the Embroidered Uniform Guard had spent several years accumulating.

Qi Jiguang tapped his horsewhip on the map, his eyes sharp as an eagle's, like a drawn blade illuminated by the candlelight.

The four ruthless individuals sitting below were all seasoned veterans: General Gongsun Zan, dressed in white robes and silver armor, sat there like a snow-capped mountain, cold and majestic.

His White Horse Cavalry had dominated the northern frontier for many years, striking fear into the hearts of the Wuhuan and Xianbei.

Qu Yi, the leader of the Vanguard Death Squad, was a burly man with a face full of scars and eyes like a hungry wolf. He exuded a fierce aura.

His vanguard soldiers were skilled at fighting tough battles, and they could conquer cities and seize strongholds as easily as walking on flat ground.

Yu Jin, known for his strict discipline in military affairs, sat upright with his back ramrod straight and his face devoid of any superfluous expression.

He placed the utmost emphasis on discipline when leading his troops, and his soldiers obeyed orders without question, never committing any offenses.

Xu Huang, skilled in raids and assaults, was a burly man with large, bony hands that held his battle axe as easily as chopsticks.

His troops were known for their ability to overcome any obstacle, no matter how tough.

The five of them, gathered together, exuded a murderous aura that could suppress the wind outside the tent.

The guards outside the tent walked very quietly, afraid of disturbing the killing gods inside.

This time, Liu Ce's orders were simple: Qi Jiguang was to lead 20, 000 elite Qi Family Army troops, along with 10, 000 elite cavalry under Gongsun Zan, 10, 000 elite infantry under Qu Yi, 10, 000 elite heavy infantry under Yu Jin, and 10, 000 elite assault infantry under Xu Huang, for a total of 60, 000 troops, to enter Shu and take over Yizhou, and incidentally quell any rebellious troublemakers.

Sixty thousand elite troops—what does that mean?

How many men did Liu Bei bring when he entered Shu? Twenty or thirty thousand.

Liu Yan has been managing Yizhou for so many years, but he has less than 40, 000 soldiers who can fight.

Sixty thousand men, all elite troops, so well-equipped they could dazzle anyone.

The Mingguang armor, the horizontal sword, the Mo Dao, the composite bow, and the Zhuge repeating crossbow were all complete.

With this setup, it's more than enough to conquer Yizhou, let alone the whole country.

There was plenty of grain and fodder. When we set off from Hanzhong, we conscripted tens of thousands of laborers to transport the grain, and we set up several supply stations along the way.

The army had just set off from Hanzhong and had been traveling for less than three days when Qi Jiguang summoned all of them to his command tent.

The night wind howled outside the tent, while the candlelight shone brightly inside. Qi Jiguang got straight to the point:

"Gentlemen, our lord entrusted us with the task of pacifying Yizhou because he trusts our abilities. I called you here today for one thing: to clearly define the route after we enter Shu, so that we don't lose our composure once we arrive."